BARREL 3B: Magnetic Field Data from Stratospheric Balloon Campaigns

Over 50 stratospheric balloon flights collected tri-axial magnetometer data during campaigns from 2013 to 2016. The BARREL mission, a NASA Living with a Star project, measured magnetic field variations to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. Observations were conducted from stations in Antarctica and Sweden at altitudes around 30 km.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ultra-low frequency (ULF) magnetic field variations based on tri-axial magnetometer measurements.
• Studying spatial and temporal scales of relativistic electron precipitation events based on coordinated balloon and satellite observations.
• Correlating magnetic field perturbations with in-situ plasma wave and particle data from the Van Allen Probes mission.

Strengths

• Data from over 50 balloon flights across four campaigns from 2013 to 2016.
• Coordinated measurements with multiple satellite missions and ground-based instruments like EISCAT radar.
• Provides high-resolution 0.25-second magnetic field measurements at stratospheric altitudes.

Limitations

• Data are neither gain-corrected nor despun, which may require additional processing for some analyses.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measured by DC magnetometers carried on approximately 20 kg stratospheric balloons.

Time Range

Campaigns conducted in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 12:18:48.564413; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Balloon launches from Halley Bay and SANAE IV in Antarctica, and Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden.